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FBI sting nabs 5 in alleged Ohio bomb plot

(CBS News) Five alleged anarchists have been arrested after a months-long sting operation, charged with plotting to blow up a bridge in the Cleveland area, the FBI announced today.

CBS News senior correspondent John Miller reports the group had been involved in a series of escalating plots that ended with their arrest last night by FBI agents.

The sting operation supplied the anarchists with what they thought were "explosives" and bomb-making materials.

At no time during the case was the public in danger, the FBI said.

Douglas L. Wright, 26; Brandon L. Baxter, 20; and Anthony Hayne, 35, were arrested by members of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force last night, on charges of conspiracy and attempted use of explosive materials to damage physical property affecting interstate commerce.

Also arrested were Connor C. Stevens, 20, and Joshua S. Stafford, 23.

The criminal complaint was filed this morning in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

FBI Complaint: U.S. v. Wright (pdf)

According to law enforcement sources, the five were not connected to international terrorism.

"The initial plot involved the use of smoke grenades to distract law enforcement in order for the co-conspirators to topple financial institution signs atop high rise buildings in downtown Cleveland," according to the complaint.

The FBI says over the course of several months the accused discussed various targets in and around the Cleveland metropolitan area, with the Route 82 Brecksville-Northfield High Level Bridge being selected as the target. The bridge crosses over Cuyahoga Valley National Park from Brecksville to Sagamore Hills.

The defendants then conspired to obtain C-4 explosives, contained in two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), to be remotely detonated, the FBI said.

"The individuals charged in this plot were intent on using violence to express their ideological views," said FBI Special Agent Stephen D. Anthony.

The five defendants are expected to appear today before a federal magistrate in U.S. District Court in Cleveland.

Yep...lots more to come....ever notice....we dont have a lot of bombs go off here in the US, but anytime some one goes looking for explosives to buy...it's the US government that shows up more often than not?

Yep...lots more to come....ever notice....we dont have a lot of bombs go off here in the US, but anytime some one goes looking for explosives to buy...it's the US government that shows up more often than not?

I like that we don’t have a lot of bombs going off here. I guess they could have waited for these guys to actually blow up said bridge but somehow I think that outcome would not be viewed as favorable by most people.

Tell me, how would you have handled this if you were in charge? Do you believe they weren't plotting to blow up a bridge?

And if you are wondering why the FBI was involved and not local police, it seems like they were plotting an interstate crime.

If this was just talk and they didn’t actually have any intention of blowing up a bridge then they were extremely stupid and should have expected a knock at their door. As much as I value free speech I know there are some things that I can’t talk about unless I want to risk getting picked up, blowing bridges up is one of those things. No matter how much I disagree that is the reality of the world we live in.

And if you are wondering why the FBI was involved and not local police, it seems like they were plotting an interstate crime.

If this was just talk and they didn’t actually have any intention of blowing up a bridge then they were extremely stupid and should have expected a knock at their door. As much as I value free speech I know there are some things that I can’t talk about unless I want to risk getting picked up, blowing bridges up is one of those things. No matter how much I disagree that is the reality of the world we live in.

Terrorism is a federal crime, not a local gig.

Regarding this particular crime, its a good thing that most of these 'terrorists' are fairly stupid. If they would have taken a page out of the crazy Norwegian fucker's handbook they could have setup a fake farming coop between the 5 accomplices and had access to all the fertilizer they wanted.

The article says the initial plot was to use smoke grenades to distract police while they knocked over signs on financial institution buildings. 10 bucks on the fed agents convincing them to blow a bridge instead.

The article says the initial plot was to use smoke grenades to distract police while they knocked over signs on financial institution buildings. 10 bucks on the fed agents convincing them to blow a bridge instead.

looks like it

“Well, you gotta get with me,” pleaded the CHS. “If we gonna be trying to do something in a month you need to get with me as soon as possible on how much money we gonna need.”
That conversation is reported by the FBI to have occurred on March 22. In another encounter on March 28, both Wright and his cohort Brandon Baxter said that they did not want people to think that they are terrorists. On that same day, along with the undercover informant, the group drove over Valley View Bridge and the conversation turned to bringing a similar structure to the ground.
“I could show you,” said the informant, who then urged the group to exit the highway and investigate the bridge.
The CHS then asked if they would be interested in purchasing blocks of C4 explosives, suggested to them that they need two, and then offered to put them in touch with another FBI agent, this time a 15-year veteran with a decade off the radar.
On a March 28 meeting, Wright refused an offer to purchase “heavy stuff” from the agent. Later in the week, the officer asked them to consider purchasing a larger quantity of C4 at a discounted rate. Days later, the CHS insisted that Wright and Baxter act quick because they were “on the hook” for the explosives.
In the weeks leading up to the alleged attack, the FBI says that Baxter at one point said that the group had never agreed to blow up a bridge and that he personally feared that, if caught committing a large-scale crime, the anarchists would be sent to the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. The CHS attempted to ease those concerns by offering the group decoy license plates and provided them with ways to establish an alibi should they follow through.

"The problem with the cases we're talking about is that defendants would not have done anything if not kicked in the ass by government agents," attorney Martin Stolar tells Mother Jones. Although Stolar is not working with this case currently, the lawyer previously represented the suspect the linked to a New York City bombing plot that was set-up by FBI agents. "They're creating crimes to solve crimes so they can claim a victory in the war on terror." For their part, the FBI says this method is a plan for "preemption," "prevention" and "disruption."